Electro-magnetic annunciator



. (Model.)

G. HOPKINS. Electro Magnetic Annunoiator.

Patented'April( 26, 188|..

ATTORNEYS.

y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.- f .n

GEORGE M. HOPKINS, OEBEOOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICTION `forming partof Letters `latent No. 240,717, dated April 26, 1881.

Application lcd January 31, 1881.` (Model.) i l l Figures-l and 2 are respectively side and end elevations of the electric annunciator arranged for an open-circuit line. Fig. 8 is an electric annunciator arranged for a closed circuit, and Figs. 4 and 5 are side and end elevations ot'fa modiiied forni of the escapement.

My invention relates to annunciators for telephone and burglar-alarm lines, and for other analogous purposes; and it consists 1n an escapement operated by an electro magnet, in combination with a series of superposed drops operated either by gravity or by springs, the escapement and drops being relatively arranged so that the drops will be liberated one after another in rotation by the movement ot the escapcment.

This annunciator will be employed to `indicate to the central telephone-station the wants of the subscriber. For example, the first drop may indicate that telephonie communication is desired, the second that a messenger is wanted, while a third may' be used to call the police, and the fourth to indicate tire. Any other arrangement of calls Inay be used in connection with the annunciator. When used in connection withia burglar-alarm it will indicate the room into which entrance is being made. It has a further application in connection with club telephone-lines, where it is desirable to call any particular person on the line. In the latter case a bell will be used in connection with the annunoiator to make an audible signal;

Referring to Fig. l, in which an annunciator for an open circuit is represented, the magnet A in the line over which the signal is sent is mounted on a right-angled frame, B, to the front face of which are hinged the several drops a b c, all turning on the same pivot, d, and all held in 'an inclined position by a catch, C, pressed bya spring, e, into an engagement with pins ff projecting from the edges of the drops a b c.

VBelow the catch G and pinsff' a lever, D, is

`and within its intluence.

`pivoted to an arm projecting from the back ot' the vertical portion of the frame B. The outer end ot' the lever D carries a chisel-edged detent, g, whose edge is located below the space between the pins fof the irst andisecond drops,

a b. The inner end ot' the lever D supports an l armature, It', over the polesof the magnet A, The motion of the lever D is limited by the mortise in the frame B,through which it passes, and the lever is kept Vby a spring', i, in its normal positionthat is, with the detent g below the pins f and..

to liberate the rst pin f belonging to the drop a, when the drop falls. Upon breaking the circuit the lever D and catch C regain their normal position, and the pin j' of the second drop, b, falls forward against the nib of the catch, and will be liberated when the circuit is again closed, repeating the operation just described in connection with the rst drop. In this manner any number of a series ot' drops may be liberated in succession. The drops are returned to their original position by raising them until the pins f are engaged by the catch C, as shown in Fig. l.

To adapt the esoapement to a magnet in a closed circuit it is only necessary to place the magnet A above the armature h, as shown in Fig. 3, and to extend the spring t' beyond the pivot of the lever D. In this case the oces ot the spring and magnet will be reversed. The magnet A will hold the lever in its normal position, while the springt` will move the lever D when the armature h is released by the magnet. In this case the puslrbutton or key by means of which the signal is sent will operate to break the circuit when pressed.

The escapement shown in Figs. aand 5 is the same in principle as that shown in the other iigures, but the construction is modified. In this case the catch C is secured to the frame IOO B, and moves when the lever D is moved, but

is capable of moving' independently when the drops are restored to their normal position.

The lever D carries a detent, g', which pro- 5 jects from its side, and is bent twice at right angles, so that the chisel-edge g2 ot' the detent g is in the same position relative to the pins f as in the arrangement shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3. When the catch Cf is raised by the action of the electro-magnet, the first pin fescapes, While the remaining ones are retained by the detent g', and when the lever D is returned to its normal position by the spring fi the second pin f will he released by the detent g and drop forward against the. catch C. A second movement ofthe lever D' releases the second pin f in the same manner as the first was released. The drops are returned to their original position by placing the pins j in engagement with the catch C', as in the other cases.

When it is desired to give an audible signal to one person on a line and not to the others, all of the pins excepting the one attached to the drop indicating` the person requiring the audible alarm are made of insulating material, as indicated in black in the drawings; but the particular drop indicating the person requiring an alarm is provided With ametallic pin,

3o f', capable ol' making electrical contact with the catch C. In this case the catch C is in sulated from other parts of the annunciator, and is included in an electrical circuit which been allowed sufficient time to operate; but if 45 the metallic pin f isallowed to remain in contact with the catch C any considerable length of time the bell will give the alarm.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an velectro-magnetic annunciator, a series of' superposed drops having one of their number iitted to close a local circuit, in combination with an escapement adapted to release one drop after another in succession, as herein specified.

2. In an electrical annunciator, the combination of the electrically-operated detent g, the catch C, and a number of superposed drops, a b c, having escapement-pins f, as herein specified.

GEORGE M. HOPKINS. Witnesses:

I-I. M. HOPKINS, (l. SEDGWIGK. 

